Player Insider: Preparing for College

March 16, 2018

Player Insider

Arturo, Barça Academy U-19 Player

March 15, 2018

Before coming here to Casa Grande and becoming a part of the Barça Academy I had a dream and a goal to become a professional soccer player. The only problem here was that I didn’t quite know how I would get there.

I thought that just training and playing club games that hopefully somebody would see me and I’d get lucky. It wasn’t until I joined Barça Academy that I actually started to understand that there were different routes to takes and different ways to achieve my dream.

I had absolutely no idea of how the college process worked or how to even earn a scholarship or get there. During my first 6 months here I learned a lot about all these things. The coaches helped me get exposure and they reached out to colleges. Not too long ago I was fortunate enough to receive a full ride, NCAA Division I scholarship offer and I committed to a university just an hour away from my hometown, Florida Atlantic University.

I also believe my understanding of the game has improved and as a player I have improved. Going to the gym and having sessions almost every day and being in a professional environment has been a great experience for me. But not only have I improved as a player but as a person, but I have made great relationships here with my teammates and coaches.

Furthermore, my organization skills and time management skills have improved ever since I moved here. Things like keeping my room clean and keeping up with my school work without having my parents or family present was definitely an adjustment but I believe I matured as time went on. I am definitely ready to go on to college and live alone or on campus now that I have had that experience here at Barça Academy. I am more independent now and I look forward to spending my last months here in Casa Grande in my final season in the USSDA League and I am excited and prepared for my future.